A Welcome Surprise
by AlexanderCastle
Summary: Five months after their wedding, Kate meets Rick at the airport when the latter returns to New York from a three week book tour. And she has a surprise for him. May be AU (especially after Season 7 starts).
1. Chapter 1

**A complete stand-alone Castle 'fic, based on this idea - Takes place about five months after Kate and Rick's wedding, with Kate meeting him at the airport upon his return from a book tour and having a surprise for him.**

**For Tori, who suggested I write this.**

_**Disclaimer: I don't own them. But if Andrew Marlowe wants to give them to me as a gift for my 22nd next year, then I'd be more than happy to take them off of his hands...**_

**_Setting - Read the author's note. Most likely AU._**

**~A couple of days ago~**

"I miss you, Kate".

Her husband's voice was gentle as he spoke, and she found herself wishing herself two days into the future, resenting the fact that he was halfway across the country when she needed him there with her, right at that very moment. She sighed softly. "I know. I miss you too, Rick. It's just not the same around here without you".

Rick chuckled. "It's not the same here without you either. There's so much I wanted us to see together".

"When will you be back? Two days, right?"

She wasn't sure how much longer she could keep her news secret from him. She wanted more than anything for him to be there with her at that very moment, but she knew that he was obligated, due to his contract with Black Pawn, to go on book tours. On the other hand, the simple fact that she recognized that it was part of his job (just like hers involved waking up at often asinine hours of the morning) didn't mean that she had to like it or that she couldn't wish that he was there with her instead. In fact, that's exactly what she was determined to do. "Yes. We landed in Chicago about five hours ago. I have a couple of book signings scheduled for tomorrow morning and afternoon, and then I have the rest of the day to myself before we fly back to New York in the morning" her husband replied, trying to keep his tone neutral, though she could tell from the way that he spoke that he wanted to be back at home with her about as much as she wanted him there.

Gods, she wanted to blurt out her secret right then and there. But it wasn't the kind of thing that you told someone over the phone. It would have to wait. "Great. Oh, just to let you know, I asked my dad to meet us for dinner that night. Your plane gets in at around 10 am, and we're not meeting him until six pm, so we'll have plenty of time to relax before then".

"Okay, cool. It'll be nice to see him again. I haven't seen him since the day after our wedding, after all".

"I know, neither have I. That's why I invited him to meet us for dinner. I was thinking, how about that little Italian place near the loft? You want me to make the reservations?" she queried, purposely leaving out the fact that there was another reason that she had invited her father to dinner with Rick and herself, and it had nothing to do with the fact that they hadn't seen each other for just under five months (due to the three weeks she and Rick had taken for their honeymoon, as well as their unusually-heavy caseload once they had returned to the 12th Precinct. And it didn't really help matters that Rick had had to leave town on a book tour for the latest book in the Nikki Heat series almost as soon as their case load had finally lightened again, which had been about three weeks before).

"Would you mind? I have a charity event that I'm supposed to be going to tonight, and I don't know if I'll be able to find the time to reserve a table before I have to get ready. Or, of course, we could always invite him to join the four of us (My mother, Alexis, you, and myself) for a family dinner at the loft if it would make him feel more comfortable… It would be more casual and relaxed, less stressful or formal. I could make spaghetti bolognaise or lasagne or something"

Kate smiled to herself. Rick always knew just what to say when she needed it most. That was one advantage of their marriage having followed four years of (initially reluctant) partnership and friendship, a fifth of dating, and a sixth of being engaged. They knew each other so well that they could instantly tell when the other person needed something, and they would often provide it within seconds. "Actually, dinner at the loft does sound like a good idea. I'll suggest it when I talk to him tomorrow morning. Hey… Rick?"

"Kate, is something wrong?" Rick queried.

She could tell by the sound of his voice that he was concerned, and she couldn't help but manage a slight sigh in satisfaction. "No, Rick, nothing's wrong at all. Everything's just so perfectly, beautifully, right. Well, almost everything, anyway".

She glanced down at the contents of the small box in her lap, a single perfect tear slipping down her cheek before falling to land beside the single white stick-like object inside of the box. "Let's just say that I've got a surprise for you for when you get back" she said softly.

"Can't you tell me now?" he queried.

She chuckled at the whiny sort of tone that his voice had suddenly taken. "Sorry, but it's not the kind of news to share over the phone. I'll meet you at the airport when you get back, and I'll tell you then. I promise".

"Richard Castle! You'd better be getting ready for tonight's event!"

Kate felt herself wince as the shrill, nasal, voice of his agent hit her ears, still hearing her perfectly well even though they weren't in the same room. Her husband sighed. "I suppose I had better get going. I love you, Kate".

Hearing him say those three words sent a shiver down her spine. They always did, no matter how many times he said them to her. "I love you too, Rick. Don't go signing any chests, alright?"

Rick chuckled in response. "Only yours, my dear Mrs. Castle. Only yours".

And with those parting words, he hung up. Kate smiled to herself as she carefully reached into the plain-looking manila envelope on the coffee table in front of her, pulling a small black and white photo out and casting her eyes over it once more before slipping it into the box on her lap to join the stick-like object that was already in there.

**~John F. Kennedy Airport, present day~**

"Kate!"

It didn't take her husband long to see her. Within seconds, he had reached her, his strong arms wrapped around her, his face buried into the crook of her neck, savoring the sweet smell of her skin as if he could never get enough of her. "God, I missed you so much" he whispered.

"I missed you too, Rick. I'm so glad you're home" she replied softly, before pulling away and reaching into her pocket, withdrawing the small, ordinary-looking, box.

"What's that?"

She held it out to him. "It's your surprise. Go ahead, open it".

He did so, gently taking it from her outstretched hand and lifting the lid off, mouth dropping open as he looked at the contents. "Kate, are you…"

She beamed up at him, never gladder than at that very moment for the fact that she had decided to wear flats instead of high heels. "Yes. Yes, Rick, I'm pregnant. Just over a month in, according to the doctor I saw three days ago".

There was a pause while Rick digested this news, and then he lowered his mouth slightly to meet hers, sealing their lips together in a quick, though passionate, kiss. "You're pregnant. We're going to be parents. My god, Kate, this is incredible".

"You're happy then?" she queried.

Even knowing the answer as she did, it was still best to be absolutely certain. Rick smiled at her. "Happy? Kate, I'm ecstatic. You are going to be an absolutely amazing mother, I am certain of it".

"You're going to be an amazing father, Rick. You already are one to Alexis, so you'll no doubt be one to our child, or children (as the case may very well turn out to be), as well. Now, how about we go home, and we can… catch up… properly?"

He chuckled in response, picking up his bag with one hand and slipping the other around his wife's waist as they headed for the doors that led into the parking lot. "Best welcome home surprise ever".


	2. Chapter 2

**You know, at first I didn't think that I was going to continue this story. But then one of my online best friends mentioned it was her birthday coming up, and I knew I wanted to write her something, so this happened.**

**Review responses:**

**PrecoBeco - Sure.**

**Princess of Imagination - Thank you. I hope you enjoy this Chapter just as much.**

**Guest - I can't help but agree with you. Enjoy.**

**Guest - Yup. And, as revealed in this Chapter, Rick's not the only one getting a surprise.**

**Disneynut - Suggestion received, considered, and approved.**

**hfce - Thank you, I hope you think this Chapter is just as sweet.**

**Bianca(Guest) - I had a feeling you would.**

**Caskettlover always41319 - Yup, pretty much!**

**For Bianca. There are no words to describe how much your friendship means to me. Happy Birthday.**

_**Disclaimer - I don't own Castle.**_

* * *

The moment that the couple walked through the door into the loft, Rick turned slightly, pressing a gentle kiss to his wife's forehead. "Why don't you find us a movie or something to watch? I'm going to go unpack, and then I'll be right back out".

Kate smiled in response, her hazel-green eyes sparkling with happiness as she looked at her husband. "Alright, sounds good. See you in a few minutes then"

"See you then" the writer replied, before easing himself gently away from her side and walking towards the door that led from the main room of the loft into their bedroom.

Once inside the room, and after making sure the door was closed firmly behind him, he smiled to himself, pulling a long rectangular box from his bag and setting it down on the bed. _I'm not the only one who's going to be pleasantly surprised today…_ he thought idly, before starting to rummage through his bag, eager to finish getting unpacked so that he could rejoin his wife as soon as possible and they could make the most of the rest of the day.

**~20 to 30 minutes later~**

Smiling gently to himself as he picked up the box and slid it into his pocket, he left the room, rejoining his wife on the couch in front of the TV. She snuggled into his side immediately, resting her head on his shoulder. "You didn't choose a movie" he observed quietly, idly playing with a lock of her hair with one hand.

She gave a soft laugh, the sound making Rick fall even more in love with her. "No. I meant to, but then I remembered how crazy the last couple of months have been, and long it's been since the two of us just spent a few hours just sitting here, doing nothing but enjoying each other's presence".

"Is that what you want to do, Kate?"

Hazel-green eyes met blue, and the woman nodded. "Honestly, yes"

"Sounds good to me. But first, I have a surprise of my own for you… Would you mind sitting up for a minute please?"

Though his wife was clearly surprised by his request, she did so, turning in her seat so that she was facing him. Reaching into his pocket, he took out the box he'd put in there just a minute or so before, holding it out to her. She looked at the box in surprise, and then back at him, and he could see the unspoken question in her eyes. "Go ahead, open it".

She gingerly took the box from him and cradled it in her own lap, hesitating for a few seconds before carefully lifting the lid. Rick's watching eyes registered the exact moment that Kate saw the contents. Her eyes widened in disbelief, and she alternated between staring down at the contents of the box and back up at him. "Rick?"

He smiled softly, knowing that she wanted an explanation. "Do you remember how, when we talked over the phone a couple of days ago, I said that I had a couple of signings to do and then I had the rest of the day to myself?"

His wife nodded. He smiled, pausing briefly to brush a strand of her hair away from her face before continuing. "Well, I was wandering around relatively aimlessly, and a small jewellery store caught my eye. I entered, planning just to look around for a few minutes and leave again, but that one caught my eye and I immediately knew that it would look amazing on you. And I remembered that you mentioned you've been looking for something new to wear when we go out for dinner or to book launch parties ever since we got engaged and you barely wear the chain with your mother's ring on it now that you've solved her case, so I thought I'd buy this for you".

Kate looked down at the box in her lap again, admiring the heart-shaped diamond necklace with two hearts entwined inside it. "I don't really want to know how expensive this was, do I?" she queried, her tone serious, though the way in which her eyes sparkled happily as she looked at the necklace betrayed the fact that she was sincerely touched by the gift.

Wrapping his arms around her, Rick pulled the younger woman into a hug, pressing a gentle kiss to her forehead. "Honestly? No, you definitely don't want to know. But Kate, the price isn't important. I know you're not a really big fan of extravagance, or flashy jewellery, and that is just one of the many things that I love about you. I just think you're the most incredible, stubborn, stunning, inspiring, woman that I've ever met, and I wanted to buy you something truly special"

She smiled, leaning in and giving him a quick, though tender, kiss. As she pulled away, she reached down with one hand, carefully removing the necklace from the box, and held it out to him. "Thank you, Rick. It's beautiful, it really is"

He smiled. "Just like the woman whose neck it'll be hanging around, then".

She blushed brilliantly, before giving the necklace to him and turning away, brushing her hair away from her neck to allow him access. "Help me put it on?" she queried.

"Always"

Undoing the necklace's long chain, he slipped it around her neck before refastening it, being careful to ensure that his wife's long hair didn't get snagged by the clasp as he did so. "Done"

Turning back to him, Kate smiled at her husband warmly. "It really is absolutely gorgeous, Rick. And so fitting, too. Two hearts entwined… Doesn't that sound at all familiar?"

"Of course. It reminds me of our marriage, Kate. Two hearts as one".

Nodding, Kate pressed a soft kiss to her husband's lips. "That's exactly what I was thinking. Now, if you don't mind, I think that's more than enough symbolism for one day already, and I want to show you just how much I missed you".

"As you wish" Rick replied, pressing a soft, chaste, kiss to his wife's forehead before standing, helping her up, and leading her in the direction of their bedroom.

They had some celebrating to do.

* * *

**So there we go. I hope you guys enjoyed this Chapter.**

**If you're interested in seeing a picture of the necklace that Rick gave Kate, there's a link to it on my profile.**

**Leave a Review? I'd love to know what you all think!**


	3. Chapter 3

**So here's the third Chapter.**

**Just to clarify the setting, since I just realized I have not done that for this story yet, this story is completely AU from after Veritas. Basically, Castle never went missing, Beckett was not already married to Rogan, and absolutely nothing of Season 7 and later actually happened.**

**Oh, and I think I fixed the link to the picture of the necklace that Castle got for Beckett. You just have to copy and paste the address from my profile page into the address bar, just clicking it on my profile won't actually get you anywhere. Hope that helps!**

**Review responses:**

**Guest: Thanks!**

**TORONTOSUN - Maybe not, but the price might still make her a little uncomfortable (which is more what I was going for here).**

**PregoBeco - Then I hope you like this Chapter.**

**ceboy08 - Thanks, I'm glad you liked it.**

**Bruhh forreals - Thanks!**

**Guest - Alrighty, the link should be somewhat fixed now. Just copy-paste the link into the address bar, that should take you to the right page. **

**Moochiecat (Guest)- Thank you, I'm glad you liked both chapters.**

**Ballyjamesduff - I'm glad I got that reaction from you then.**

**Guest - You're welcome.**

**conservativegirl - Aww, thank you!**

**Bianca (Guest) - You're most welcome, I hope you like this chapter just as much.**

_**For that most incredible person I am lucky enough to call my best friend, who knows the song in my heart even when I've forgotten the words. There truly are no words to describe how much you mean to me. Thank you for everything.**_

_**Disclaimer - This would be completely canon if I owned Castle.**_

* * *

"Hey, dad. You're still coming over to the loft for dinner, right? Rick and I have some big news that we really want to share tonight".

On the other side of the line, Kate's father smiled. "Of course, Katie. I wouldn't miss it for the world. How are you doing, by the way?"

Kate smiled softly, sharing a look with her husband for a couple of seconds before replying. "I'm great, dad. Happier than I ever thought I could be, actually. Everything seems to have just… fallen into place lately, I suppose".

"That's good. I'm happy for you, Katie. Alright, see you soon then".

"See you, dad".

Kate hung up and set her phone aside before snuggling further into her husband's side as his arms wrapped around her waist, her head resting on his shoulder. "How long do we have until the rest of our family get here?" she asked softly, her eyes never leaving the blue eyes of her husband.

Rick reached out and picked up his cellphone from the table, glancing quickly at the time on the lock screen before setting it down again. "Six more hours. Do you think we should maybe invite the boys and Lanie to join us as well? We're going to have to tell them about this sooner or later, and they are practically our family too, so it might be a good idea to get it over with tonight".

Kate sighed softly. "I know we've got to tell them soon, Rick, but I kind of want tonight to be just the five of us. You, me, Alexis, and our parents. We can tell the others tomorrow. You don't mind, do you?"

"Not at all. It was just a suggestion anyway. Whatever makes you feel comfortable is fine by me, Kate" her husband replied gently.

She smiled at him, sinking further into his embrace. "This makes me comfortable. Being around you and our family, Rick. That's what makes me comfortable".

"I'm glad to hear that, Kate. I really am".

As she snuggled closer to her husband, he reached over and picked up his phone again, swiping his finger across the screen and entering the code to unlock it, tapping something quickly before locking the phone again and setting it back down. "I've set the alarm on my phone to go off in about one hour and 15 minutes. That gives us time to have a quick rest before we have to start preparing dinner".

Kate smiled softly, leaning in and pressing a soft, quick, kiss to his lips. "Sounds perfect".

**~6 hours and 30 minutes later~**

"This is fantastic lasagna, Rick"

Across the table from his father in law, the writer smiled at the older man's compliment, sharing a soft smile with his wife before replying. "Thank you, Jim. I don't think that I could have possibly made it this well without Kate's help though".

Kate squeezed his hand softly in return. "Richard, you and Katherine said you had big news for us. What is it?"

The writer smiled at his mother's question. "Well, we were going to wait until after we'd finished dinner to say anything, but this is just as good a time as any"

Kate nodded, taking a sip of water to moisten her suddenly dry lips before speaking. "I first suspected something about a week ago, but it wasn't until I went to the doctor three days ago that I actually found out. I'm pregnant. I have been for just over a month, apparently, at least if what the doctor said is right. I told Rick when I met him at the airport when he got back from his book tour this morning".

Alexis was the first to break the silence that had fallen as Kate finished speaking. "Congratulations, both of you. I've always wanted a little brother or sister, really, so this is by far the best surprise ever".

Kate smiled at her step-daughter. "I'm glad you think so, Alexis. I really am".

She caught her father's approving look from across the table as Martha pulled the writer sitting next to her into a celebratory hug, and smiled back at him, before speaking again.

"Oh, and I've already told Gates that I'm taking the rest of the week off to focus on some family-related things that need to be taken care of. I didn't offer any information about what those things were, and she didn't ask, but judging by the way she was watching me as I left her office, I'm pretty sure she knows anyway".

Somehow aware of the look on her husband's face, she turned towards him, squeezing his hand slightly. "I didn't speak to Gates until after our last conversation two days ago, Rick, and after I finished speaking to her I decided that it would make a good surprise for you" she said simply, one hand reaching up unconsciously to play with the chain of the necklace hanging around her neck.

He squeezed her hand back, giving the younger woman a soft smile. "You thought right".

**~A couple of hours later~**

"Kate?"

The brown-haired detective glanced up from the book she was reading, meeting her step-daughter's eyes. Marking her page with the bookmark next to her, she closed the book and set it aside, smiling warmly at the younger girl. "What can I do for you, Alexis?"

"Can I ask you something?"

Kate shifted in her seat to give the girl space to sit down. "Of course, Alexis, you can ask me anything. What's the matter?"

The red-haired girl sank onto the couch next to her step-mother, folding her legs to her side almost in an exact mirror of Kate's own seating position. "Well, it's just that… You've been more of a mother to me over the past 7 years that we've known each other than my actual mother ever has been, and I was just wondering…"

Kate smiled gently, reaching out a hand to brush a strand of hair out of her step-daughter's eyes. She knew exactly what the girl was trying to say, but knew that this was something Alexis needed to ask for herself. So instead, she chose to reassure. "I'm listening, Alexis".

"I was wondering if it would be okay if I called you mom" the red-haired girl replied softly.

Kate reacted quickly, pulling the red-haired girl into a gentle hug and kissing the top of her forehead. "Of course. Of course you can call me mom, Alexis".

* * *

**Just reuploading to fix a small typo in the Alexis/Kate scene at the end.**

**In case anyone's interested, the two songs I was listening to when I wrote this were:**

**I Won't Give Up, by Jason Mraz**

**Fields of Gold, by Sting**

**Hope you enjoyed the Chapter, please, feel free to leave me a Review with your thoughts, and I'll try not to wait so long between Chapters this time.**


	4. Chapter 4

**Sorry it took so long, things have been kind of hectic lately. Here's the fourth Chapter!**

**Review replies:**

**bellemmie - Thank you. That was also my personal favorite part of the Chapter to write.**

**ValzBrownie - Glad you liked it!**

**dhurley - Thank you, glad you liked it. Hope you enjoy this new Chapter too.**

**Disneynut - Glad you enjoyed it. And yeah, that was a mistake. I've fixed it now.**

**TORONTOSUN - Thank you. Glad you're enjoying the story.**

**12precinct42344 - You're welcome, I'm glad you're enjoying the story so far!**

**Guest - You're welcome.**

**Chacha - Thanks, glad you're enjoying it!**

**Guest - Thank you Bianca (yes, I know it's you). Glad you liked it, since it was also my favorite part of the chapter to write!**

**Molly - Will do!**

**Twlightbella - Well, it's a little too late to guess that now, but yes.**

**Twlightbella - Glad you like it.**

**Disclaimer - I thought I owned Castle for a few hours last night. Turns out I dreamed the whole thing.**

_**For Bianca. Thank you for everything.**_

* * *

**~A couple of hours later~**

She woke to the touch of her husband's gentle hand on her shoulder and the press of his lips against her forehead. Looking up, she smiled as she met his eyes with her own. "Hey".

"Hey. What time is it?"

Her husband glanced quickly at his phone, then back at her. "It's just after 11. You've been asleep for about two hours".

Kate sat up slightly. "Where is everyone?"

"Mother is in her room, and your father is in the guest bedroom. He said something about wanting to spend more time with you, and I suggested he stay here for the night instead of going home" her husband replied.

"And what about Alexis?"

As she spoke, the weight that was pressed against her side shifted, and a loose strand of red hair fell into her sight. "Does that answer your question?"

"Yes".

Blue eyes, so much like those of the writer who was currently kneeling next to the couch, opened, staring sleepily at the brown-haired detective. "What time is it?" the red-haired girl queried.

"Almost twenty-past eleven. How about you go and get some sleep, we can talk more in the morning if you'd like" Rick replied softly, leaning in and pressing a gentle kiss to his daughter's forehead.

Alexis smiled at her father. "Sounds good. Good night, dad".

She leaned in, pressing a quick kiss to her dad's cheek, and then smiled at Kate, pulling the detective into a brief hug. "Night, mom"

Kate smiled back, a slight thrill going down her spine at the term Alexis had just used for her. "Night, Alexis. Sleep well".

As her step-daughter stood and walked towards the stairs, Kate's husband turned to her, a look of surprise on his face. "Did Alexis just call you mom? And you didn't mind?"

"I told her she could. She sat down next to me on the couch while you were talking to my dad in the kitchen and asked if I would be okay with her calling me mom. I told her I'd be happy for her to. I know she already has a mother who loves her in her own way, but I didn't want to hurt her feelings by telling her not to" Kate replied softly.

"Of course, if you'd rather that she didn't call me that, I could…" she added, though she was cut off mid-sentence as Rick lowered his head to hers, sealing his lips against hers in a quick, though fiery, kiss.

After a couple of seconds, he pulled away, and the detective could see the gratitude and happiness in his eyes. "Truthfully, Kate, you've been more of a mother figure to Alexis since we met than Meredith has been since Alexis was born. You're always there for her when she needs to talk to someone about anything she doesn't feel comfortable talking to me about, and I can't thank you enough for everything you've done for her. Anyway, my point is that I am overjoyed that Alexis wants to call you mom".

She smiled warmly back at him. "Me too, Rick. Come on, we'd better get to bed ourselves. It's been a long day, and we both know we're going to need to have a good night's sleep if we're still going to tell the others our good news tomorrow like we wanted to. Especially since we both know exactly how happy Lanie's going to be at the news…"

Her husband grimaced at her words. She was right; both of them knew how loud the ME could get when she heard good news. A couple of seconds later, he nodded, pressing a soft kiss to her forehead. "Agreed. I'd offer to make the coffee, but we do need to be well-rested and coffee isn't exactly going to help with that. Plus it wouldn't exactly be good for you in your condition" Rick replied.

She elbowed him playfully as she got to her feet, grabbing his hand and pulling him in the direction of their bedroom.

**~The next morning~**

Her husband's side of the bed was cold when she opened her eyes, and for a single second that she had imagined the entirety of the previous day's events. Then the sound of quiet laughter from the lounge hit her ears, and she smiled, recognizing one of the voices as her husband's (and, by listening very carefully, she could only just make out Alexis's voice as well). Just a couple of minutes later, the door to their room opened, and her husband stepped in, carrying two steaming cups in his hand. He smiled softly at her when he realized that she was awake. "Morning Kate".

"Morning. You know I'm not exactly allowed to drink coffee right now, right?"

The brown-haired writer gave a gentle laugh, walking around to her side of the bed to give her one of the cups, before crossing back to his side of the bed and setting the cup down on the table. "It's tea, Kate".

As her husband slipped beneath the sheets to settle into the bed beside her, she took a long sip of the steaming liquid, sighing in satisfaction and settling back into the writer's side. This, enjoying a simple hot drink in bed with the man she loved, was by far her favourite way to start the day.

* * *

**So there we go, another chapter up. Hope you all enjoy like the previous chapters.**

**This week's songs:**

**Drive - The Cars**

**Take Me To the Mardigras - Paul Simon **


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